How telehealth care exploded due to COVID: What nurse researchers need to know.

Abstract

1.1. The COVID‐19 pandemic compelled a surge of telemedicine activity to provide social distancing between health care providers and their patients, buoyed by a flurry of simultaneous federal and state telehealth policy changes to accommodate as many patients as possible. These policy adaptations included an increased number of telehealth services that could be reimbursed by Medicare, many state Medicaid plans, and even private insurers. The policy changes also relaxed Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements for the technology platforms used, allowed for controlled medications to be prescribed remotely without first having an in‐person examination, and made it easier for many types of health care professionals to practice across state lines under their current home‐state licenses. These rapid policy updates were necessary, as some studies have indicated that up to an unprecedented 80% of all outpatient appointments were being conducted via telehealth during the peak periods of late March through May. Moreover, health systems, mental health centers, hospitals, and other health care organizations had to rapidly implement telehealth systems and protocols to meet the demand. As COVID‐19 induced telehealth activity enters its 10th month, a few key questions have emerged. First, what have been the effects of this unprecedented pandemic and related policy changes on telehealth volume? Also, how has policy evolved and what policy accommodations will continue post‐COVID? Will providers continue to leverage telehealth after the public health emergency ends? This short editorial opinions page provides some initial thoughts on these important questions.